She can’t live without him, but he’s willing to marry her for convenience and leave once he’s had his way with her.

It’s not exactly true love, but the performers behind the characters in Amarillo Opera’s “Madama Butterfly” don’t have that problem in real life.

The Giacomo Puccini opera was the first production staged by the company in 1988, and returns to kick off the opera’s 25th season.

Saundra DeAthos, who sings the role of Cio-Cio San, and Harold Meers, who sings Pinkerton, are married and say the drama on stage is enriched by their tight bond as a couple.

“The best part of playing opposite my husband is that I trust him. He makes me feel comfortable ... in taking risks on stage,” DeAthos said.

But it’s not easy.

“When your wife is playing the person you’re hurting, it hits close to home,” Meers said. “We generally try to work through that during the rehearsal process ... and get it out of the way, so we can be more focused on our job, which is acting and singing well. Sometimes when you have that much emotion, it doesn’t help the voice.”

The staging borrows costumes and a minimalist set from the Santa Fe Opera’s 2010 production, Amarillo Opera general director David O’Dell said.

“It’s requiring the company to really go to the next level technically,” he said. “We’ve made strides in the ensemble and with the artists on stage. This represents the same thing for our technicians, too.”